The future of logistics is electric, but high costs keep the brakes on. How is Emobi tackling this? Explaining their all-in-one framework for fleet operators, which includes vehicles, financing, and software solutions, Bharath Rao from Emobi tells EFY’s Nitisha Dubey everything.
Q. What does Emobi do, and what are its key products?
A. We are an electric vehicle (EV) company focused on design, engineering, and manufacturing. Our primary focus is on developing EVs for business-to-business (B2B) applications, especially last-mile delivery, catering to urban, semi-urban, and rural mobility needs.
Q. Are your vehicles manufactured in-house?
A. We design our vehicles entirely in-house, while components are manufactured by partner vendors based on our specifications. Our current manufacturing facility is in Bengaluru, and we are planning to expand into the Delhi-NCR region.
Q. What kind of machinery is used in your facilities?
A. We use standard two-wheeler assembly equipment such as conveyor belts and wheel-mounting machines, mostly sourced from Indian OEMs.
Q. Do you offer financing or leasing solutions?
A. We collaborate with partners like Tech Inverse and MoveNow, who handle leasing and rental services for fleet operators and riders.
Q. Can you elaborate on your product platforms and innovations?
A. We operate on two main platforms: high-speed and low-to-medium-speed. We have filed multiple design patents, some of which have already been granted. We are also working on new business-to-consumer (B2C)-oriented high-speed variants that we plan to launch soon.
Q. Who are your target customers?
A. In urban markets, we mainly target B2B fleet operators and riders who lease or purchase vehicles through these operators.
Q. Why do you primarily focus on fleet and logistics operators?
A. Fleet operations provide a high-usage environment that allows us to test performance and reliability under real-world conditions, where riders typically cover 100–150km daily.
Q. How does your EV platform reduce the total cost of ownership compared to ICE vehicles?
A. Our EVs have significantly lower operating costs, around ₹0.20 per km compared to ₹2 per km for internal combustion engine (ICE) scooters. Even after factoring in equated monthly instalment (EMI) costs, EVs offer better economics, supported by buyback and refurbishment guarantees.
Q. What range and payload capacity can users expect?
A. With fixed battery systems, we offer a real-world range of around 105km per charge. Battery swapping solutions provide approximately 60-70 km per swap.
Q. Do you offer customisation based on customer needs?
A. Yes, we provide customisation across different speed categories and battery configurations to suit varied operational requirements.
Q. How does your battery system improve uptime for fleet operators?
A. We support both fixed battery charging and battery swapping. Additionally, we are integrating with the Light Electric Vehicle Acceleration Forum (LEAF) to enable fast charging via widely available Type-7 connectors.
Q. What after-sales and maintenance support do you provide?
A. We handle major servicing at our micro-factories, while minor servicing for large fleets can be done at customer locations with our support in spare parts and standard operating procedures.
Q. How do you ensure spare parts availability and service support?
A. Before entering a new region, we ensure that spare parts inventory and service infrastructure are fully in place.
Q. Can your vehicles be tailored for different delivery segments?
A. Yes, our vehicles can be customised for applications such as e-commerce, food delivery, and pharmaceuticals.
Q. How scalable is your business model?
A. Our micro-factory model allows local partners to assemble vehicles and serve regional markets, making the business highly scalable and operationally efficient.
Q. In which cities are you currently operating?
A. We primarily operate in Bengaluru, with a growing presence in Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, and Kochi.
Q. How do your vehicles perform under heavy usage conditions?
A. Our vehicles have been operational for around 18 months. After initial improvements, they have shown stable and reliable performance over the last seven to nine months.
Q. How do your vehicles perform in extreme weather conditions?
A. We have tested our vehicles across multiple climates. Features like water resistance, aluminium battery enclosures, and thermal management systems ensure stable performance.
Q. What ROI can fleet operators expect?
A. Fleet operators typically achieve return on investment (ROI) within 24 months, which can be reduced to 18 months in high-utilisation scenarios.
Q. What ecosystem partnerships support your charging infrastructure?
A. We collaborate with Sun Mobility, Battery Smart, and Honda for battery swapping, along with the LEAF network-based fast charging infrastructure.
Q. How do you manage sustainability and waste?
A. Most of our vehicle components are recyclable. Batteries are repurposed for second-life energy storage before being recycled through partner networks.
Q. How do you support companies beginning their EV transition?
A. We provide an integrated framework that includes vehicles, financing, and software solutions, enabling businesses to adopt EVs with minimal upfront investment.
Q. How flexible is your deployment model?
A. Our model is highly flexible and supported by software as a service (SaaS)-based systems, allowing customisation for both small and large fleet operators.
Q. What challenges does the EV industry currently face?
A. While adoption in two- and three-wheelers is growing rapidly, supply chain uncertainties due to global factors remain a concern.
Q. How do you manage supply chain risks?
A. We prioritise Indian suppliers to reduce dependency on global supply chains, although some components still rely on international raw materials.
Q. Why should partners choose Emobi over competitors?
A. We offer strong warranty terms, reliable product performance, and robust after-sales support, ensuring better total cost of ownership.
Q. What does your workforce look like?
A. We have around 70 employees, with a majority being engineers, supported by teams in assembly and service operations.
Q. Have you faced any operational challenges?
A. We have faced occasional vendor-related issues, such as inconsistencies in components. However, we addressed these by replacing faulty parts and strengthening supplier coordination.
Q. What are your expansion and marketing plans?
A. We plan to set up at least two additional micro-factories within this financial year, while strengthening manufacturing capacity and completing product certifications. On the marketing front, we are focusing on partnerships with large fleet aggregators to expand our leasing ecosystem and market reach.
Q. How has your business grown, and what are your revenue projections?
A. We started operations last year with revenues of around ₹30-35 million, and we aim to scale to ₹300-350 million in the current financial year, driven primarily by vehicle sales and spare parts.
